In February 2025, Matthew did what he has done countless times before – recognized the signs of a stroke. What made this moment different was that the stroke wasn’t happening to one of his patients.
It was happening to him.
Matthew is a 35-year-old third-generation registered nurse with Aurora Health Care. As a Neuro ICU RN and stroke responder, he’s trained to act quickly in neurologic emergencies. But on that particular morning, those instincts were put to the test in his own life.
After working an extra shift while fighting off flu-like symptoms, Matthew went home to rest before returning to work that night. When he woke up to use the bathroom, the room began to spin violently. “As soon as I stood up, I fell,” Matthew recalls. “The dizziness wouldn’t get better when I laid back down. I recognized the symptoms of a posterior stroke.”
Unable to stand, short of breath and nauseous, he called 911 and specifically asked to be brought to Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center – the same hospital where he works – confident in the quality of stroke care he knew was there.
In the emergency department, Matthew found himself face-to-face with a colleague he had handed off to at the end of his previous shift. He recalls struggling to breathe, his father and sister arriving and later learning that he had been briefly intubated.
An MRI later confirmed a cerebellar stroke, and Matthew was transferred to the Neuro ICU: the very unit he had staffed for five years. “It was strange being on the other side of care in the unit I had worked in for so long,” he says. “But the staff and leadership were incredibly professional. They respected my privacy and treated me like any other patient.”
Throughout his stay, Matthew was under the care of our Stroke Multidisciplinary Clinic, including neurologists Dr. Kelsey Andrews and Dr. Barak Bar, vascular surgeon Dr. Rajeev Gupta, stroke NPs Elena and Emily and interventional cardiologist Dr. Jayant Khitha. He credits the neuro intensivists, bedside nurses and therapy teams with not only guiding his recovery but supporting his family during a frightening time.
Matthew spent a week in the ICU, steadily regaining his ability to walk and complete daily activities. He then transitioned to inpatient rehabilitation. During his hospitalization, Matthew received a new, unexpected diagnosis: acute heart failure. His recovery would soon expand beyond stroke rehabilitation into cardiac rehab, long-term monitoring and more uncertainty.
Over the following months, Matthew went to therapy focused on balance and neurologic recovery. He wore an external defibrillator for 6 months as his cardiac function was closely monitored. Remarkably, his heart function improved enough that he did not need an implanted device long-term.
During his 6-month post-stroke follow-up, another life-altering discovery emerged – a suspicious thyroid finding on imaging that led to a thyroid cancer diagnosis. The concern was first noticed by vascular neurologist Dr. Nicholas Osteraas. "This was yet another reminder of how thorough our stroke program is,” Matthew noted.
After surgery and, fortunately, a short recovery, Matthew continued healing. Today, more than a year later, his cardiac ejection fraction has improved to 52% and he has no residual deficits from the stroke.
“I’m incredibly fortunate,” Matthew shared. “Many people aren’t as lucky.”
Matthew’s recovery unfolded alongside personal loss. While he was healing, his grandmother was undergoing a cancer journey that ultimately ended in hospice care. Family, friends and care teams and coworkers became a vital support system, checking in, gathering whenever possible and offering moments of relief during an unbelievably heavy time. “The generosity of my coworkers made a huge difference,” Matthew said. “It meant more than I can put into words. I’ll never be able to fully thank everyone who was involved in my care. This experience left me inspired to take better care of myself and be there for others, just as they were for me.”
Today, Matthew is back to full-time in the Neuro ICU, caring for the same patients he once sat beside as a survivor. He has returned to hobbies like golf and is not limited from doing anything he enjoyed before his stroke.
Matthew's journey has deepened his commitment to his role at Aurora Health Care. In addition to serving as a bedside RN and stroke responder, he is a charge nurse, night-shift preceptor and, most recently, a member of the Neuro ICU’s Ambulatory Care Nursing Professional Governance Council (ANPGC).
“Being on the patient side has given me even more confidence in the care we provide,” he says. “I can tell patients and families that the team treating them is top tier, because I lived it."
How you can help
Neurosciences, cardiovascular services and cancer care programs at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center are all supported by philanthropy. To help patients like Matthew heal and thrive, please make a gift today.